Electric plug



Sept. l, 1931. F. KUHN ET L 1,821,553

ELECTRIC PLUG Filed Jan. 30. 1928 [n Zi' 3 mento@ @Horn m s a plugformed of aA plurality of sections and Patented' Sept. 1, 1931 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK KUHN AND LAURENCE H. THOMAS, OF DETROIT,MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS TO AMERICAN ELECTRICAL HEATER COMPANY, OF DETROIT,MICHIGAN, A CORPO- RATION 0F MICHIGAN ELECTRIC PLUG Application filedJanuary 30, 1928. Serial No. 250,497.

This invention relates to electric plugs and contemplates the provisionof a plug which shall be simple of construction and easy to assemble.

An object of this invention is tov provide to provide a single meansfor.holding all of these sections assembled.

A further object of this invention 1s to provide an electric plugincluding an insu- .lator block and a sectional casing for the block andincluding means in the insulator block for receiving portions of thecasing for facilitating an assembling of the casing.

Another object of this invention is to provide a solid molded block forthe contact clips and to provide a handlewhereby the plug may beconveniently used.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a novel type ofcontact clip and to provide a novel means for maintaining the contactclip in position within the insulator block.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent asthe following description proceeds particularly when reference is had tothe accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of an electric plug constructed inaccordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 1;

Figure tis a transverse section taken on the line 4:-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a perspective View of a section of the casing forming a partof the electric plus;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the insulator block; and

Figure 7 is a perspective View of the member shown in Figure 6.

Referring now particularly to the drawings wherein like referencecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout all views, it willbe noted that the electric plug includes an outer casing 10 and an innerinsulator block 11.

The casing 10 includes a pair of like sections, one of which is shown inFigure 5. This section is provided with a body portion 12 adapted toconstitute the side covering of`the electric plug. The body portion' 12is provided with the edge flanges 13 which as clearly shown, areprovided with the cut out portions 14 adjacent one end and is furtherprovided with a relatively narrow end ange 15 and a relatively wide basefiange 16. The lianges 13 are adapted to form the edges of the casingwhile the base flange 16 is ladapted to form the bottom of the casing.The base flange 16 is provided with the flanged extremities 17 for apurpose hereinafter to be described.

Obviously when the two sections of the casing 10 are brought together,they form a casing such as shown in Figures 2 and 3 and this casing isadapted to receive the insulator block 11. The insulator block issectional and includes a body section 184 and a base lsection 19. Thebodysection 18 is preferably a solid molded block, relatively fiat andlong, and is provided with a pair of longitudinally extending recesses19 which are reduced at their outer ends to form slotted inlet openings20. The molded block 18 is further provided with a transversely arrangedaperture 21, which opens at its ends to the counter sunk portions 22 and23.

The base section 19 is a substantially elongated member which is adaptedto be arranged transversely of the block 18 and adjacent one end of thesame. The block 19 is provided with the rounded end portions 25 whichare adapted to project through the cut away portions 14 in the iianges13 to form linger pieces whereby the electric plug may be convenientlyhandled. The body portion of the block 19 between the end porasubstantially cylindrical recess 28. The last mentioned face of themember 19 is also provided with a longitudinally extending groove 29which is adapted to receive the flanges 17 of the casing 10.

The recesses 19 in the block 18 are adapted to receive contact clips asclearly shown in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings. Each conta-ct clipincludes a strip of resilient metal bent upon itself to form theresilient gripping arms 30 and 31, which arms are free to move relativeto each other at one end and are joined together at their op- `positeend as by the base 32. For securing the wires 33 of an electric conduit34 to each clip, there is provided a threaded member 35 adapted to havethreaded engagement with both arms 30 and 31 adjacent the base 32. Itwill be obvious that arms 30 and`31 of the U-shaped clip will, by virtueof ltheir resiliency, tend to move away from each other. This forceacting on the threaded member 35, when the same is threaded in the arms30 and 31 will tend to lock the member 35 against rotation whereby thearms 30 and 31 will in substance form a lock washer for the threadedmember 35.

The electric wires 33 coming from their respective contact clips areadapted to initially enter the recess 26 in the member 19 where they arecombined into the conduit 34 which asses 4through a passage 36 formed int e member 19 and then through an opening in the casing 10 formed by thesemi-circular cut away portions 36 in the flanges 16.

If desired, a resilient member such as a spring 40 may be sleeved on theconduit 34 and arranged with its inner end within the casing 10 forreception in the recess 28 in the member 19. This resilient member willobviously tend to prevent too sharp a bending of the conduit 34 at thepoint where the same enters the casing 10.

For preventing longitudinal movement of the contact clips in theirrecesses, each contact clip is provided with a plate 45 which is adaptedto be secured to each clip by its respective threaded member 35. Eachplate 45 is provided with the depending flanges 46 adapted to embracethe end of its respective clip and is further provided with the upwardlyprojecting ange 47 adapted to be received and clamped between the member19 and the block 18 when these elements are assembled.

In assembling the device the plates 45 and the wires 32 are connected totheir respective contact clips and each contact clip is placed in one ofthe recesses 19. The conduit 34 is extended through the opening 36 inthe member 19 and the member 19 is then brought into position adjacentthe end of the block 18 as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3. The flange47 being positioned between the members 19 and 18 will e'ectively bracethe contact clips against longitudinal movement in their recesses. Thesections of the casing 10 are then positioned upon opposite sides of themembers 19 and 18 and their flanges 17 are inserted into the groove 29.The groove 29 will thereby tend to maintain the lower ends of thesections of the casing in assembled position and the upper ends ofthesection of the casing may then be locked in assembled position by a bolt48 which passes through the aperture 2l in the block 18 and throughapertures 49 in the sections of the casing 10. The sections of thecasing 1() may be provided with countersunk portions 50 and 51surrounding the apertures 49 whereby the head of the bolt 48 and the nutmounted on the bolt will not project beyond the sides of the casing 10.Further, the countersunk portion 51 may be so shaped as to preventturning of the nut 52 whereby rotation of the bolt 48 will assure atightening of the nut on the bolt.

From the above, it will be apparent that the invention provides anelectric plug which includes a sectional insulator block and a sectionalcasing for the block, all of which sections may be held together by asingle securing means. It will further be obvious that the groove in themember 19 will provide a simple and efficient means for holding one endof the sections of the casing together and that the projecting ends ofthe member 19 will provide a serviceable handle for the entire device.

Further the solid molded block for the clips will provide a stronghousing for the clips while the resilient arms of the clips will serveas lock washers to prevent turning of the threaded member which securesthe electric wires to the clips.

While one embodiment of the invention has been described somewhat indetail, it is to be clearly understood that the description is for thepurpose of illustration only. The right is therefore reserved to makesuch changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts aswill fall within the purview of the attached claims.

lVhat We claim as our invention is:

1. In an electric plug, a sectional casing, and an insulator blockprovided with means for receiving an end of each section of said casingto lock said ends together.

2. In an electric plug, a sectional casin fianges formed on thecorresponding ents of the sections of said casing, and an insulatorblock grooved to receive the said anges.

3. In an electric plug, a casing formed of a pair of like sections, aiange formed on one end of each section, the said flanges beingl adaptedto lie in juxtaposition to each other when the sections of the casingare assembled, and a sectional insulator block adapted to be positionedin the said casing, the said insulator block including a transversesection grooved to receive the flanges formed on the sections of thecasing.

4. In an electric plug, a sectional insulator block including a recessedbody section and a base section, a contact clip in the recess in thebody section, and an angular Harige carried by the said clip adapted tobe clamped between the said body section and base section of the blockfor securing the clip within the recess.

5. In an electric plug, an insulator block including a recessed bodysection and a base section, means clamping the said sections together, aclip in the recess in the body section and means carried by the saidclip adapted to be clamped between the said body and base sections ofthe block for securing the clip within the recess.

6. An electric plug connector comprising a casing formed of a pair ofsections, each of said sections being provided with a flange on one endthereof, said flanges being adapted to lie in juxtaposition to eachother when the sections of the casing are assembled, and an insulatorblock adapted to be positioned in said casing and having a groove forreceiving said flanges.

7. In an electric plug, a sectional insulator block including a recessedbody section and a base section, a contact clip in the recess in thebody section, and means for securing said clip within the recessincluding a member having a portion rigidly clamped between the sectionsaforesaid of the insulator block for securing the same in place andhaving another portion extending within the recess and detachablysecured to the clip.

8. In an electric plug, a sectional insulator block including a recessedbody section and a base section, means for clamping the sectionsaforesaid together, a contact clip in the recess in the body portion,means for securing said contact clip within the recess including aflange carried by said clip and having a portion clamped by the clampingmeans aforesaid between the body section and base section.

9. In an electric plug, a sectional insulator block including a recessedbody section and a base section, a contact clip arranged within therecess in the body portion, means for Aattaching an electric conductorto the clip, and means for securing said clip within the recessincluding a member having a portion rigidly clamped between the sectionsaforesaid of the insulator block and having another portion extendingwithin the recess and secured to said clip by the said conductorsecuring means.

10. In an electric plug, an insulator block r having a body portionformed of one piece natures. FRANK KUHN. LAURENCE H. THOMAS.

